Silk-thread finishing and lustering machine.



E. *POHL. SILK THREAD FINISHING AND LUSTERING MACHINE.

AIPLIUATION FILED QOT. 27,1908.

Patented Feb. 9, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SEEET 1.

E. POHL. SILK THREAD FINISHING AND LUSTERING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 27,1908.

Patented Feb. 9, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

EDWARD POHL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SILK-THREAD FINISHING AND LUSTERING MACHINE.

'No. 91 i,9o7.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 9, 1909. 7

Application filed October 27, 1908. Serial No. 459,741.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD Pol-1L, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident-of New ,York, county of New York, and State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Silk-Thread' Finishing and Lustering Machines, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had to .the accompanying drawings,forming a part thereof.

My invention relates to improvements in silk thread finishing andlustering m achines, and particularly to machines of the type in which afinishing and lustering solution is first applied to the threads and thethreads thereafter drawn over a heated contact surface for the purposeof drying, polishing, and

ironing'them.

I have found that in the operation of this class of machine the silkfibers which ordinarily extend laterally from the threads are first laiddown in the application of the finishing and lustering solution, and.are finally imprisoned therein during the further opera ti'on of themachine, so that the thread, as finally delivered, is loaded andpolished, and the surface thereof is perfectly smooth to. the touch, Theloading and polishing is highly desirable, but this smooth finish is notso desirable, because when the threads are finally used in the making upof goods the result isv a material which does not have the rustle orswish which is generally associated with silk fabric. The goods madewith such material are heavy and have a fine body and a good luster, butthe absence of this rustling quality has been found to be objectionablein that the trade and public generally require it.

It is the object of my present invention to restore this quality to thesilk fabric, and to this end I provide means for breaking out theimprisoned fibers of the threadQso that the threads as finallydelivered, ready to be woven into fabric, will have fibers which extendlaterally therefrom.

In the preferred form of my invention the fibers are released by rubbingthe threads transversely across the edge of a contact member over whichthey are being simultaneously drawn longitudinally inthe operation 'ofthe machine.

My lnvention also conslsts in certain im provements in the formandconstruction of the heated contact member over which the threads aredrawn in the polishing and ironing operation, and in the means by whicha heating medium is conductedthereto for the purpose of heating thesame, the object of this portion of my invention being to improve andsimplify the heating means, and

to provide for the ready turning of the heated contact members in orderto bring fresh surfaces into use, without the necessary employment ofstufiing boxes or analogous devices, such as are not only very expensivefitting connections for the contact member- Fig. 3 is an enlarged frontview of the upper end of the heated contact member and certain adjacentparts. Fig. 4: is an enlarged diagrammatic view showing the thread inthe act of having its surface disrupted across the edge of the heatedcontact member. Figs. v5, 6, and 7 are diagrammatic views showing thepath of .the thread across the face of the heated contact member. Fig. 8

is an exaggerated view of the thread showing it during the rocess offinishing, lustering, and finally with the surface thereof disrupted andthe imprisoned fibers released. 7 :The machine illustrated-comprises ingeneral a means for applying a finishin and lustering solution to thethreads consisting ofa bath or reservoir 10 designed for containing thelustering material, and suitable guidin means for carrying the threadsthroug the-bath, or otherwise carrying the finishing solution from thebath to the threads, a heated contact member 11 constructed in the formof a substantially vertical tube of polygonal form in'cross section, anda take-.up means 12 comprising a bobbin and winding mechanism. Thread'sto be treated are conducted from -the bath 10 over a guide 13', down oneface of the heated contact member 11, thence beneath and around adirection pulley l4,

however, of laying the fibers of the threads which would ofherwiseproject transversely therefrom and imprisoning them beneath the surfaceof the finished thread. In order to disrupt the loading and so releasethe imprisoned fibers I roll the threads transversely across the edge oredges 16 of the heated contact member while they are beingsimultaneously drawn longitudinally over the said member. I accomplishthis by mounting either or both of the guides 13 and 15 upon a rockshaft 17 located in proximity to the edges 16 of the heated contactmember 11, and I oscillate the said shaft so as to impart a Vibratorymovement of the said guiding elements 13 and 15 preferably in adirection substantially parallel with the plane of the faces of thecontact member 11 which are in use at the time. I set the guides 13 and15 closer together upon the rock shaft 17 than the distance between theopposite faces of the contact member 11, so that the threads are bentover the edge of the said contact member as is clearly shown in Figs. 3and 4. I'preferahly vibrate the guides quite rapidly, so that thethreads are rapidly rubbed transversely across the edge or edges 16while being simultaneously drawn longitudinally thereover, the effectbeing to disrupt the loading sufliciently' to release the imprisonedfibers. For the purpose of impart-- ing rocking movements to the shaft17, I

- have shownan eccentric 18 mounted upon a rotary shaft 19, the saideccentric being pro vided with a strap 20, and rod 21 which is connectedto one end of an arm 22 secured upon the shaft 17 The path of movementof the guides in their vibration may be parallel to the faces of theheated contact member 12 in use at the time, and the extent ofvibrationmay be such as to confine the threads to such faces; or ifpreferred, the path of movement v shown diagrammatically in Fig. 6; oragain the throw of the guides may be increased, wlth the heated contactmember in the'position shown in Fig. 5, so as to carry the threads overthree faces successively as is shown in the diagrammatic view Fig. 7. Ihave found in practice that threads treated in this way have theirtransverse fibers released so that the finished thread carries a numberof laterally projecting fibers 'while still retaining its loading andthe lustered effect, and I have found that when such threads are woveninto fabric the fabric has the desired qualities not only of body andluster, but will also give the desired rustle or swish when rubbingagainst another piece of similar goods.

The heated contact member 11 preferably comprises a hollow tube, closedat its upper end, and is supported at its lower end by means of abracket piece 23- The said contact member is connected to this bracketpiece by means of a union joint 21 which, while forming a steam tightjoint, still permits the member 11 to be rotated. Specifically thisunion joint comprises a head 28 which is secured fast to 'the contactmember 11, a collar 29 having a shouldered portion fitted to the saidhead and provided with internal screw threads, whereby it constitutes anut, and an externally screw threaded projection 30 upon the saidbracket, the said projection 30 and head 28 having coengaging faceswhich are ground togetherto form a steam tight oint. The said bracketpiece is made hollowand constitutes a means by which water ofcondensation from the steam heating system may be discharged through awaste pipe 25, steam being admitted through the said bracket by means ofa small steam pipe 26 which is located therein, the said steam pipebeing connected to a vertical steam pipe 27 which preferably extendsnearly to the top of the said tube 11. It will be noticed that the unionjoint will permit the member 11 to be readily turned by hand for thepurpose of bringing up fresh surfaces to be used in lustering thethreads, whereby surfaces formerly used and which have become fouled maybe readily cleaned, such joint dispensing with the stuffing boxes whichare ordinarily employed for making steam tight joints under suchcircumstances. What I claim is:

1. In a silk thread finishing and lustering machine, the combination"with means for ironing and polishing threads to which a finishing andlusterin solution has been applied, of means for reaking the surface ofthe'finished threads to release the imprisoned fibers.

2. In apparatus for finishing and lustering silk threads, thecombination with means for applying a finishing solution to the threads,and for drying and ironing the threads aft-er such finishing solutionhas been applied thereto, of means for breaking the surface of thefinished threads to release the imprisoned fibers, substantially as actforth.

3. In a machine for finishing and lustering silks threads, thecombination with fracture the surface of the finishing material upon thethreads for the ing the imprisoned fibers.

4. In a silk thread finishing machine, the combination with a heatedcontact member, of ayibrating guide for the thread arranged to vibratelaterally in proximity to. the edge purpose of releasof the heatedcontact surface, the said guide being located at a level beneath thelevel of the end edge of the heated contact surface,

whereby the thread is caused to bend across the said edge of theheatedcontact surface.

-5. In a silk thread finishing and lustering machine, the combinationwith a heated contact member having oppositely disposed contactsurfaces, of a rock shaft disposed in proximity to the end thereof, a.guide upon the rock shaftarranged to guide the thread at an angle fromthe contact member, whereby the said thread is caused 'to bend acrossthe end edge of the said heated contact member, and means for vibratingthe guide transversely with respect to the said heated "contact memberin order .to rub the thread against the edge of the heated contactmember while the thread is passing longitgdinally thereover, and tothereby release imprisoned fibers.

'6. In a silk thread finishing and lustering machine, the combinationwith a heatedcontact member over both sides of which a thread is adaptedto be drawn, of'a rock shaft disposed in proximity to the end of thesaid heated contact member, guides for guiding the thread to the heatedcontact member upon one side thereof and from the heated contact memberu on the opposite side thereof, the said guides being placed closertogether than the distance between the opposite faces of the approachand discharge end of the heated contact member, whereby the threads arecaused to bend over the said edge of the heated contact member, andmeans for oscillating'the rock shaft,whereby to vibrate the said threadguides during the time the threads are being drawn over the heatedcontact member, substantially as set forth. v

7. In a silk thread finishing and lustering machine, the combinationwith a hollow bracket, and a tube closed at its upper end fittedthereto, the said tube constitutin a contact member for the threads, ofa union joint connecting the said tube and bracket together, whereby theinterior of the bracket and the interior of the tube are in normalcommunication, but the said tube is free to be rotated upon the saidbracket, an inlet pipe contained within the bracket for admi tting steamto the interior of the tube, and

a vertical pipe connected thereto and extend- -upper end and provided atits lower end with a head which is fitted to the aforesaid neck, theco-engaging surfaces of the said neck and head being circular at anypoint in cross section, whereby the tube may be revolved upon a neck,and a shoulderednut engaging the said head and screw-threaded upon thesaid neck for drawing the parts together, the saidhead, neck, andshouldered nut constituting a union joint, an inlet pipe containedwithin the bracket for admitting steam to the interior of the tube, avertical .pipe connected thereto'and extending upwardly within the tube,the said tube and bracket having free communication between each otherthrough the said union joint, around the inlet pipe connection fordischarging exhaust steam and waters ofcondensation.

' EDWARD POHL.

Witnesses:

D. HowARD HA'YwooD, LYMAN S. ANDREWS, Jr.

